(RALEIGH) -- The North Carolina House and Senate convened a mini session on Monday and quickly adjourned without taking any votes, but Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger did introduced a new bill called the Excellent Public Schools Act. The bill would mean big changes for teachers.

The proposal would take away the tenure system for veteran teachers and put all teachers under an annual contract.  The intent behind this provision would be to make it easier to remove ineffective teachers. All 115 school districts in the state would also have to create their own merit pay system by the beginning of the traditional school year in 2013.

Social promotion of third graders who are not ready to move to the next grade would also stop, but supplemental classes would be created to help children who are not able to demonstrate a level of competency for the 4th grade.  It would create a simpler way to grade schools: A-through-F, establish a state teacher core, much like Teach for America, and move teachers to merit pay. Five more instructional days would be added to the school calendar.

"We are serious about reforming K-12 public education in North Carolina," said Berger.

The proposal would cost an additional $45 million in next year's budget.  The bill does not include a provision for funding the requirements it would create.

"The collections this year, some of the reversions, we think the money will be there.  I can't point to a specific line item where this will come from or where that will come from but I  think we'll have the capacity to to deal with these numbers," added Berger.

Gov. Beverly Perdue's office issued a press release on Monday afternoon denouncing the education proposal.

"It’s not surprising that some politicians are trying to distract attention from their harmful cuts by calling for education reform, rather than restoring the state’s investments," said Perdue's press secretary, Christine Mackey.. "Merely paying lip service to reform, without offering a serious plan to address the thousands of educators who are no longer teaching, is a diversion from the real issue and it rings hollow."

The head of the North Carolina Association of Educators also spoke out against the plan on Monday. "The major education reform bill filed today by the Senate needs much reform itself," said NCAE President Sheri Strickland. "While it attacks virtually every aspect of public education in North Carolina, it is woefully short on knowledge and comprehension."